Stats are now up on Heathrow's website for the period covering the first 10 days of the trial.

Disappointingly, they don't contain any reference whatsoever to the numbers of arrivals performing 3.2° approaches.

Latest announcement on trial participation states that "a large number of airlines that have the necessary standard of navigational equipment for this approach are expected to take part".

Not great I suspect judging by my own example and the number of people you hear requesting the RNAV "Y" approach, suspect that most people can't really be a***d with it.

Asked a few times in the last couple of days.

Despite minima +300' or VFR conditions, requests denied due separation requirements.

Not many data points for the trial then.

We're getting plenty, more than expected, and enough for the purposes of the trial. We're trying to enlarge the sample in terms of airlines and types, which is why if you offer it may get refused, along with the reasons already cited.

Are requests for RNAV Y approaches more likely to be approved when the landing runway is 27L? AFAIK, that's the only approach being noise-monitored during the trial (though of course that's only one of the objectives).

And any idea why the numbers aren't being published in the daily stats? Those normally appear at least a week in arrears, so presumably it wouldn't be difficult to collate the data in that time.

Measurements carried out by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) at seven monitoring stations operated by Fraport and the Environment and Community Centre (UNH) showed a clear reduction in the maximum sound level ranging between 0.5 and 1.5 dB (A) depending on the monitoring station and the aircraft type. The measurements were conducted over the entire period of the trial operations.

Between October 2012 and December 2014, about 145,000 aircraft landed on runway northwest using the increased glide angle, representing 71 percent of all landings. During this time, the new procedure neither caused a higher number of go-arounds nor any delays for arriving aircraft.

The additional instrument landing system (ILS) and the required relocation of the glide path transmitter cost EUR 3.2 million. The operating costs amount to EUR 300,000 per year.

Not certain a 'clear' reduction of 0.5 to 1.5 is even perceptible to humans, and a significant cost...
a correlation was not done with the new aircraft coming on line in the 2 year timeframe, many of which are much quieter...

https://www.dfs.de/dfs_homepage/en/P...%20protection/

EDIT: I understand the 3.2 is an option for Gatwick?

Flip side, I've asked for it 5 times over the last two weeks...

Approved every time.

Even managed to stop the Airbus flying level at 3520' too!!!